Exciting Property Plans

Completed Building Update - March 2021

Our massive building project is now complete and the children (and teachers) are loving their spaces, as are the office staff. It was a long time coming but so worth it!

The excitement was real when we let the children know that they could return to playing on 'top grass'. This resulted in squeals, clapping and later....rolling around in the newly cut clippings. It's wonderful to once again be fully functioning and firing on all cylinders!

Building update - 28 August 2020

Behind the fence and under the big white tent, progress is flourishing.

The new admin block has walls and roof framing and the windows are in!

Behind Autahi, the pathway is now concreted and the steps to top grass almost completed.

Plans for the outside classroom are also progressing and we are hoping that this will be completed over the next holidays in time for Term 4. This will be a rubber granule surface with canopies overhead with drop down transparent screens. We are excited for the opportunities that this area will give us for learning, performances, community events, increased shelter, breakout groups, quiet space, fundraising.... the opportunities abound!

Building update - 03 July 2020

Due to the Covid 19 lockdown in March and April we are a couple of months behind schedule - now with a completion date of early March 2021. Nothing happened for so long (about 5 years!), there were numerous bureaucratic complexities to navigate and then the window opened into a much brighter future full of opportunity.

It's very complicated. Different projects attract different types of funding. Some cannot be used for classrooms, some can, some can be used to speed things up and some is provided as part of ongoing 10 year funding. Basically, we have different labelled pots of which to dip into within strict guidelines.

Here's the update in a nutshell:

A new weathertight Autahi - inside and out, with all new vinyl, carpet, wall coverings, windows, doors, cladding, etc, is scheduled to be completed in September (although will need to continue to be the home of the temporary staffroom a while longer.)

The top grass has been levelled and drainage rectified. We also have a wide concrete area that will be so useful for play/learning.

The new Admin block, also home to a meeting room and staff 'sanctuary space', has had its foundations poured! New drainage has been completed down the driveway to bottom court.

Eventually, the current Admin block will be the home to a new Library/Research/Creative Centre which will have easy access to the staffroom/all purpose area for events and the like. The current staffroom will be slightly enlarged so that it can cater for more curriculum activities such as Music and Dance workshops. (Let's face it - it's not really a staffroom!)

Matariki and Māhutonga are re-clad and re-roofed. Underneath all of this, there is cabling, wiring, plumbing, strengthening and all that 'stuff' that costs a lot and you can't really see.

An outdoor classroom is planned for a section of bottom grass. This will be a simple structure with clear tent-like sides that can be up or locked down. The rubber matting floor will mean ease of play...... this 'classroom' will be great for all sorts of learning and the hope is to have it as an area for performances, community events, increased shelter, breakout groups, quiet space, fundraising.... the opportunities abound!

We also have our 10 Year Property Plan funding drop. This is basically split in half so we focus on 5 years at a time. In this, we have flagged a junior toilets upgrade as the priority as well as changing the lighting throughout the school to LEDs. With all of this, there are certain parameters and priority areas for the Government we need to work within.

Lots to think about and keep us out of mischief - isn't there!

2020 Update: (February 2020)

The current building work is a combination of projects, some of which have been in discussion for over 7 years. We were also fortunate to also receive a $180,000 Ministry of Education 'special grant'. This is specifically tagged for non-teaching space only, as in administration. The other work currently happening this year is weather tightening/re-cladding of the whole senior area and the back wall of Autahi.

It's great that it's finally underway and we look forward to utilising the space when completed. When that time happens, the staff can finally move back into their staffroom and the current admin area will be developed into a new Library space. Following that, the next allocation of Ministry of Education money will be available and this is tagged to be used in 'classrooms' which will mean we will have the ability to upgrade class spaces/facilities like toilets.

Click on the link to see our exciting Property Plans (2016).